Appeal Court upholds 15-year sentence in online gambling and money laundering case
Court convicts Syrian and Egyptian in ‘alternative remittance money laundering’ scheme
The State Security Division of the Court of Appeals, has upheld harsh prison sentences and multimillion-dinar fines against members of an international network involved in illegal online gambling, betting operations, and money laundering through a fictitious alternative remittance system.
The court sentenced a Syrian, identified as the main operator of the scheme, to 15 years in prison for running and managing an online gambling platform and coordinating illicit financial transfers abroad. Two Egyptian also received seven-year prison terms each for their roles in supporting the operation.
In addition, five shell companies were fined a combined total of more than 25 million dinars after being found guilty of serving as fronts to disguise illegal proceeds. These entities were used to issue fake invoices and documents to legitimize funds derived from international gambling activities, reports a local Arabic daily.
Investigations carried out by security detectives in coordination with State Security revealed that the network processed bettors’ funds through alternative remittance channels, bypassing regulated banking systems.
The operation relied on layered transactions and shell entities to obscure the origin of the money and transfer it internationally.
The court also ordered the closure of the companies, involved and mandated publication of the verdict in the Official Gazette. Several other defendants were acquitted due to insufficient evidence, while one defendant remains subject to a suspended in-absentia sentence.
The authorities stated that the ruling reflects continued efforts to combat financial crimes linked to illegal gambling and money laundering activities that threaten the integrity of the financial system in Kuwait.
